The Search For Rain
by Trailrider4life
Summary: It starts off with Rain in foal, the suddenly, something very strange happens. They move meadows and one night later, Rain has disappeared from the herd. Spirit leaves Esperanza to watch the herd while he embarks on a journey to save his mate. Will the two reunite again? Find out! {COMPLETE}
1. Chapter 1

Spirit walked through the misty night, his thick black mane blowing in the slight breeze. He looked from the left to the right, sweeping his eyes over his herd. _My cimmaron herd_, he thought. His mate, Rain, stood in a corner resting, with his Mother, Esperanza. Slowly and quietly, he walked toward the two of them. Esperanza stayed in her doze, but Rain's blue eyes flickered open.

"Spirit?" she whickered. "Shouldn't you be with the foals?"

Spirit shook his large head. "I'm here with you, dear. How do you feel?" He nudged her belly with his muzzle.

Rain looked at him and gently pulled a strand of his mane. "Not too well," She told him with a quiet nicker. "I can't tell when our foal is due. I feel sick and I'm always, I mean ALWAYS hungry. I can't fill us both up. And Spirit, if I don't foal soon, it may be winter when I do. How can I feed both of us in winter with no grass?" Her anxiety showed in her eyes, and her usually caring expression was turned into a worried look.

Spirit came up beside her, trying to comfort her. He told her how if she did foal in winter, all would be fine. How he and Esperanza would take care of her. How all the Dams in the herd would care for her. She would be okay. For the reason she _had _to be okay. Rain sighed and rested her head on his neck. "I wanna belive you. But what will-" Spirit cut her off from finshing. He nudged her and told her, "But nothing. Everything will work out."

Rain looked at the ground, and all of a sudden, her knees buckled. She caught her balance and with an alarmed nicker, stumbled forward. Her nicker woke up Esperanza, and she was at her side, asking if she was in foal. Rain said no, that she was just exhausted and needed rest. Spirit left his two beloved mares and made more rounds, checking on the foals. When he came back, it was dawn. Rain was eating with his Mother, and the herd was waking up. All the foals were romping and mothers crowded around watching.

Spirit walked over to Rain and nickered, asking her to follow him. Rain looked confused, but trotted after him.

"What is it?"

Spirit nickered and looked toward the bottom of the hill.

"Oh! Spirit! It's beautiful!" Rain looked at the beautiful large stream going through the middle of the meadow, and the woods that would be shelter from winds and rain to the left. Nothing but belly high grass stretched to the right, for what seemed like miles. She stood just looking for a long while, when Spirit touched her muzzle with his. She looked at him, the loving look back in her crystal blue eyes. The tension, anxiety, and stress were gone. Taking one last look, she trotted down the hill.

Getting to the bottom, she loped across the large meadow, and to the stream. She put her head down to the cool water and drank deeply. Spirit now had the herd coming down the hill, Esperanza galloping toward Rain. There seemed to be a smile on the palomino mare's face, and Rain nickered excitedly. The two mares met up and Spirit came trotting up. Rain grabbed a strand of his mane as she had before, and lovingly nickered to him.

"I love you, Spirit. I really do..."


	2. Chapter 2

(My little note to y'all, my paragraphs were too long. I'm sorry and will make them less jumbled!)

* * *

Spirit walked around the herd in the new meadow, checking them before the night was over. He walked to where his Mother and Rain had been standing, and Esperanza was alone.

"Mother?" he nickered to her. "Where is Rain?"

Esperanza looked around. "She was right here," she nickered to her son.

Worried, Spirit walked around the herd. He didn't see her, so he loped the outskirts of the meadow. "Rain!" he screamed into the warm night. "RAIN!" In foal, she wasn't very fast, and she could never outrun white men or mountain lions.

He got back to his Mother, and was frantic. "Mother, I'm going looking for her. You watch the herd." He started to leave, and Esperanza gave him a rude snort.

"Spirit. I know you love her. I know you need to find her. But wait until morning. I can't watch the herd during the night." She gently pulled his mane. He slowly walked to her and sighed, knowing he couldn't leave her in the night hours.

"But Mother, what if she has our foal out there? She's alone!" Spirit screamed to his mother, waking the whole herd. They all looked at their leader, and nickered. Realizing he was shaking, tried to calm down. The rst of the herd looked around and dozed off again, puzzled at why he was so upset.

* * *

Rain wandered around the woods. _Where am I? How am I lost...? _She looked around, and neighed. No reply. She had gone to the stream to get water, then into the woods. There was a path, but it seemed to have vanished. _I just wanted to eat for a little while. How could I have wondered so far off?_ She walked back and forth, to and fro.

"Spirit? Spirit? Leaves crumched and twigs broke, not ten yards away. "Spirit!" Rain trotted towards the sound and then...

A mountain lion sprang from the brush, and Rain's instincts kicked in. She screamed, and kicked at the lion. Running around a tree and leaping over a hole, she stopped and turned around. Without realizing what she was doing, she reared up and came down on top of the mountain lion.

Panting, she became overwhelmed. _I killed it?! _Slowly she walked off, leaving the lion there. She looked around and let out one last neigh before carrying with her journey.

She walked through the dark woods all night, when she suddenly saw moonlight. "The meadow!" she nickered charging from the woods. She got out in the open, and it was anything but the herd's meadow.

It was the prairie.

_The prairie? No!_ She nickered loudly. No response. But something was familiar about this prairie...

Walking farther out, she realized something. This was where Little Creek lived. This was her boy's homeland. But how far away it was, she didn't know.

She found a large tree and walked over to it. Until now, she didn't realize how exhausted she was. Standing under the tree, she closed her eyes and dozed.

* * *

Dawn came at the cimmaron herd, and Spirit decided it was time to leave Esperanza in charge. He promised his herd he would be back at dusk, and charged off.

_Rain, my love. Where are you?_

Galloping through the meadow and starting in the woods, he ran through the path. Seeing some horse feces, he stopped and looked around. There were no obvious trails, so he decided to go where some branches had been snapped off.

He had no idea he was following rain's path. Even though he was, she had traveled all night. She was now out of the woods. But he traveled the woods round.

Walking, trotting, jumping logs and holes. It was endless. But he wasn't stopping until he found his mate.

He neighed twice, to see if she could here.

_Answer, Rain I need you._


	3. Chapter 3

Rain woke up late in the morning, and she had no idea Spirit was out searching for her. She walked around, not sure of what to do, and neighed. Still, no horse was close enough to hear. She looked around, and dropped her head to eat some of the prarie grass.

After about 15 minutes of eating, the pregnant mare tried to find water. Listening to the sound of the wind, she walked with it. The sound became louder, and the wind had faded into rushing water.

_A CREEK!_

She trotted to the creek, and realized where she was.

_This is where I was shot... Where Spirit saved me..._

She was very close to where Little Creek lived now, and she knew it. She dropped her head to drink, and walked belly high into the creek. It was oh so cold, and felt wonderful.

Wishing she could stay forever, she decided to try and find the Lokota tribe. For any sign of safety. Walking along at a quick pace, she sighed.

_I will find one you boys. Little Creek or Spirit. One of you has to be out here somewhere._

* * *

Spirit was still in the woods, neighing and following the path of broken branches. But it zig-zagged so much, he was walking in circles.

It was getting dark, but he couldn't give up. Not now.

Walking more, he neighed to his mate again.

"Rain! Rain? Please, Rain! Hear me!"

He trotted around, frantic about losing her. Oh, she had to turn up!

As it got darker, he decided to give up. His Mother needed him back.

The buckskin stallion turned around and headed for the opening.

_I will come back ad look, my love. I promise._

He arrived home, and Esperanza had kept everything in line. When he saw her he neighed.

"No signs of her being anywhere near. I hope she's alright."

Esperanza gave him a sorrowful glance, and pulled his mane.

"She's okay. I know it."

Spirit never even looked her in her eyes, he just walked his rounds through the herd.

* * *

As it got dark, Rain found her a place to settle in for the night. She found an oak tree with low branches, and tons of grass under it.

It will do for the night...

She stood resting her leg up under the tree, her mind going and going.

She had to calm herself down, and when she did, she quickly fell into a deep sleep.

But it was far from dreamless. She had nightmares of her having her foal out here alone, and it dying alone and scared.


	4. Chapter 4

Waking up his herd, Spirit again left to search for Rain. He walked back through the woods, and trotted around for about an hour. Deciding she wasn't around here, he looked for an opening from the woods.

Finding one, he was then led onto an open prairie. _FAR_ away from where rain had entered. Letting out a shrill neigh, he called for her.

Nothing...

_Might as well walk out here for a while. See of maybe she got here somehow._

He loped around the prairie, his buckskin coat shining, and thick black mane and tail flowing. His black legs moved in a glorious motion, and he loped through the tall grass.

After about ten minutes of loping, he came up on some trees.

_Odd,_ he thought. _Tress out here?_

Walking to them, he saw that something had indeed been under them, and then he heard the roar of of river. Getting a little excited, he burst off toward the river, and was neighing like crazy.

_Water! If Rain is here, she can live! There's water!_

He skidded to a halt on the side of the bank, and scanned the other side. Seeing no horses, he jogged down the bank, and realized the same thing Rain had a day before.

_This is Little Creek's prairie..._

* * *

Rain had gotten up, gotten water and grazed for a little while before Spirit was even halfway through the woods he had been looking for her in. Her mission today: Find Little Creek.

After some refreshing, she jogged off toward the east, hoping for Indian camp smoke, or the tops of tee-pees.

But she saw nothing.

She moved into a lope, and nickered once.

No reply.

_I have to find him!_

Speeding up, she went into a medium gallop, and scanned over the dead looking grass as she ran. No civiazation anywhere.

At all...

* * *

Spirit was now hot on Rain's trail, and he knew it. Puching his slender legs to the next level, he marched through the prairie.

_Rain! Where are you? _

He knew he was on her pursuit, but how far ahead was she?

Was she alright?

Had she had her foal?

Was the foal okay?

Questions raced through him, making him run harder and harder.

_She's here. I know it._

* * *

Rain was now jogging, exhausted and just played out. Her knees and hocks gave in, and she layed down in some shorter grass.

_Can't... Go on. But... must.._

Struggling to get up, she let out a painful neigh. She tried once again, and then crashed to the ground. Her legs couldn't take all the extra weight from the foal, and run like she had been pushing them to.

_Spirit! Little Creek! Someone, HELP!_

She knew she was about to give birth, but wouldn't let herself. She knew if she had her foal here, they would both die. She strained herself to not give birth, and waited.

* * *

Little Creek had been walking in the prairie, looking for wild horses and food. That's when he heard a horse neigh.

"Rain?"

He thought it sounded like her, but he let her go over 2 years ago..

How could she be here?

He heard the painful scream again, and knew it was her.

"Hang on, Rain! I'm coming!"

He ran through the grass that was as tall as his head, and sprinted powerfully. Stopping to listen again, he saw some shorter grass.

"Rain? Rain!"

The mare heard his voice, and let out a scream.

"Rain!"

Running to the shorter grass, he found his beloved mare, lying down, about to have her foal.

"Oh, girl. Hang on, Rain. I'm here."

Knowing it was him, she relaxed, and let him caress her head gently.

Spirit was running and skidded to a stop.

_Little Creek? Little Creek!_

He knew that Indian's voice anywhere, and burst off in the direction of it. His breaths were deep, and he galloped as hard as he could to waht seemed like an opening in the grass.

Twice before he got there, he tripped and almost fell on his face.

And finally, he reached she short grass, and saw Rain and Little Creek.

Letting out a neigh, he got to rain's side and nudged her, telling her he found her, that is was okay.

Nudging him back, she told him that their foal was about to be born, and how she was in so much pain.

Spirit chewed her mane lovingly, and watched her carefully.

''Rain, come on. Push, girl. Come on, here's his hooves. Come on!" Little Creek urged the mare, rubbing her sweaty stomach.

Rain was having such a hard time. So much pain, so much work. She couldn't do it anymore.

So she just.. Gave up...

"Rain, NO! Come on! Don't stop, you'll both die!"

Little Creek rubbed and patted her stomach.

Realizing what he said was true, she tried again. This time, half of him was exposed, and one more try, and she was done.

The filly was born.

Taking a short break, Rain just lay there, puffing and puffing.

Spirit walked behind her, nudged the filly. and told Rain that she had a little girl.

Rain, now 'sitting up' , looked at the filly.

_Athena,_ she told Spirit. _Let's call her Athena._

Athena had a beautiful coat, a buckskin paint with the richest black tuft of a mane and the longest tail ever seen on a foal. Hwer legs were spindly and she had a confused look on her face.

_Mama? Mama!_

Clumsily getting to her feet, Athena walked to rain and nudged on her. Rain got the message, stood up, and shook.

Athena had fallen time after time getting to Rain, and she nickered to her mother.

Rain turned her back end around, and the little filly nursed away. After getting the colostrum she needed, Little Creek loved on the filly.

"Sweet girl. Pretty as Rain, Noble as Spirit."

Rain neighed to Little Creek, and looked at Spirit was was watching them.

Soon afterwards, Little Creek was on his way back to the Lakota tribe, and Spirit, Rain, and Athena were on their way home.

THE END.

* * *

**Well, it's done! That's the end of this story! Hope you enjoyed!**


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